Improvement in atmospheric and condensing hydraulic engines



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0I" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 07,698, dated December 7, 1869;

IMPROVEMENT IN TMOSPI-IERICAND CONDENSING- HYDRAULIC ENG-INES.

The Schedule `referxec'i to in these Letters Patent and making part of the Sanm- To whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ANDREW J. REYNOLDS, of Ghicago, in the county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented la new and useful Improvement in Atmospheric and Condensirig-Hydraulic Engines; and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accomof' said cylindersis api'stdn, connected, through its rod` and links,l to" either end of a walking-beam, for producing a steady, continuous discharge of water. By means of a peculiar arrangement of valves and tappets, steam is alternately let into each cylinder on top ofV the piston, forcing it down, and expelling the water from its under side, through the channel-plate and discharge-pipe. `.As the piston approaches the :bottom of the cylinder, the steam induction-pipe is automatically closed, and the piston uncovers the ports o i side-pipes leading from the lower part of the cylinder down into the channel-plate, when the steam` in the cylinderis condensed by contact with the cold wa.- i ter, and -a vacuum established in the cylinder, when*l the piston is forced up by acolumn of water entering through the toot-valve, forcing down the other piston,

and expelling the water from the other cylinder, byv

means of the walking-beam and its attachments. The steam, after the-iirst stroke is completed, is chiefly used to lill the cylinders for creating a vacuum, aft-er they are emptied of theirwater, which fills them by atmospheric pressure, as described.

i It also consists in a new and peculiar arrangement of thcair and steam-valves, and mechanism for operating them; also in the arrangement of the ports in the lower part of the cylinders, for opening communication between the steam inthe cylinders and the water in lthe channel-plate, at the completion of the downward stroke, thereby rapidly condensing the steam andicreating a vacuum, when a column of water raises 'the piston, and fills the cylinder in the manner described. "lhe air and steam-valves areso arranged and operated, that but a very small amount of steam is re- ;quired to be used Vinl forcing down the pistons and expelling the waterunder the pistons, as it is greatly 4assisted by the upward pre'ssl'ueofthe column ot'water raising the other/pistoia ln the drawings--- I .A represents a gallons-frame, in which is hung the walking-beam B. n

C are cylinders, open at their lower ends, resting on and secured to the channel-plate D, communicating with the water-supply through a suction-pipe, E, havingone or more cheek-yalves, E', below the waterlevel. The suction-pipe' should not be so long, nor the engines placed so high above the supply as to require more power thanthe natural pressure of the atmosphere to 'supply them with water.v

lVithin each cylinder is a piston, F, att-ached to -the piston-rod F', whose upper end terminates in a crosshead,'-F, connected to thev end oi' the walking-beam by links G. y

,n Near the bottom of each cylinder, at the plane of the upper side of the piston, when it has completed its downward stroke' are ythe ports H, connecting the cylinder 'with thel channel-plate, through the side-y pipes H'.

Inthe channel-plate are two foot-valves, l, one opening toward each. cylinder'.

J are the discharge-pipes, leading from the channelplate, between the foot-valves and the cylinders. 'lheir upper ends are furnished with ordinary clagk-valves, K. An air-pipe, L, connects the top of thedischargepipewith the top of the cylinder.

M' is a cylindrical steam-chest, on top of each cylinder, to which steam is admitted through Ithe steam.- pipeM.

Within the steam-chest is a piston-valve, an, whose stem is pivoted to a poppet-leve1,m. \Vhen thislever is, raised, steam will enter the cylinder C, and when' lowered, the steam will he shut olf by the valve m..

Passing through a stuiling-box, in the head of the' cylinder', is a lifting-rod,.N, provided at its lower end with a'follower, N', and at its upper, witlradjustaole tappets a n', between which is inserted the free end of the lever 'm'.

.Through another stuffing-box in the cjlindcr-head passes another lifting-rod, 0, having a follower, O' on its lower end. This follower iselongated, and carries a plug-valve, o, which enters and closes the air-pipe L. y

The upper end of the rod O is secured to one end of a yoke, P, whose other end embraces the rod N, so that when the piston descends nearly to the bottom ofthe cylinder, the cross-head 'F" strikes and carries down the yoke I), closing the valve m, shutting oil' the steam, and opening the air-valve o.

'lhen the piston rises to nearly the top of the cylinder, it strikes botlrfollowers, closing the air-valve, and opening the valve m for the admission of steam. The opening and closing ofthe steam-valve is effected by the tappets oz n striking and moving the poppetlever; but any other suitable device maybe employed.A

All the parts of each cylinder are alike in construction and operation.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows:

lhe channel-plate and cylinders are tilled with water until the pistons stand'at the same height in each cylinder; steam is then admitted in the right-hand cylinder, forcing down the pistou, and driving the water up and out' of the right discharge-pipe. At the same time the left piston rises, the water followingit and tilliug the cylinder.

When the right pistou get-s tothe bottom of the cylinder, the steam is shut ofi', and the steam in the cylinder, passing through the ports I-I into the channel-plate, coming into Contact with the cold-water, is instantly condensed, the tendency of the steam being to follow thel ruiming-water; at the. saine time the air-valve o is opened, and, as the water is discharged the chick-valve Ii, at the end of the discharge-pipe, closes.

The vacuum being established in the upper part of the cylinder and discharge-pipe, the pressure of the external atmosphere causes a column of water to rush 11p the pipe E, raising the foot-valve, and fillingT the cylinder, forces up the piston, in which it is assisted by the downward pressure ofthe steam on the other piston. As the piston approaches the top ofthe cylinder, the air-valve is closed, and the Stettin-valve opened, to discharge the contents ofthe cylinder.

rlhe operation ofthe other cylinder is the same, and by the employment of two cylinders, the discharge of water is continuous.

\Vherc a large amount of water is to be raised, necessitating.,r the employment of large cylinders, the great arca of their internal surfaces, cooled at each stroke by the rising water, would tend to condense the steam early in the do\\=nward stroke. In such cases a smaller steam-cylinder, similar in construction tov those described, may be placed on top of them, with both their pistons secured to the one piston-rod. By this arrangement, no water can get into the upper Cylinder to cool it down while in operation, to waste steam by condensation before a vacuum is required.

lVhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent, is-

l. In combination with the devices employed for connecting together the pistons, the cylinder C, provided with the ports H, and side-pipes H', by means of which steam is admitted to the channel-plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The arrangement of the air-valves o, the lifterrods O, the followers O', the yoke I, with the crosshe'ad F", the piston-rod l1", and the piston F, to open and close the air-pipes before steam is admitted to the cylinders, and after it is cut otf, substantially as set forth.

3. The arrangement of the piston-valves m, lifterrods N, yokes I, poppet-levers m', tappets n ln", followers N', steam-chests M, and piston-rods F', for admitting steam to and cutting it off from the cylinders C, substantially as described.

4. The channel-plate D, foot-valves I, dischargepipes J, and crack-valves K, in connection with the l )i )e E and check-valves E' arranged substantiall 'as l l i e herein set forth.

5. An atmospheric and condensing hydraulic engine, wherein two cylinders are employed, with their pistons connected through a walking-beam, and so arranged that the surplus power of one piston is transferred to the other, so as to produce a continuous reveiproeati'ug motion, without the use of a crank and fly-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ANDREW J. REYNOLDS. XVituesses:

H. S. SPRAGLE, H. 11. EBERTS. 

